Andrew morton



(No Model.) h

* A. MORTON. I CORK MAT FOR B-ATH ROOMS. No. 491,851. Patented Feb. 14, 1893.

I 'II/ WITNESSES: M

ATTORNEYS.

NITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

CORK MAT FOR BATH-ROOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,851, dated February 14, 1893.

Application filed August 13, 1892- Serial No. 442,974- (No model.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW MORTON, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Cork Mat for Bath-Rooms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention has for its object, to provide a novel and superior foot mat for use in bath rooms, and consists in the peculiar construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a top view of the mat complete; Fig. 2 is a view of the lower side of the device with a part broken away to show parts it covers; Fig. 3 is a transverse section enlarged, taken on the line 33 in Fig. 2; and Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged detached views of modified details of construction. There is a border frame A, provided, which is preferably made of wood molding, having its upper surface given an ornamental appearance, and the lower side rendered level. The frame shown is substantially rectangular in outline, but may be varied from this form.

The inner edge of the border frame A, is rabbeted on the lower side, and its corners are cut away'for the reception of the stiffening plates B, which may be plain or ornamental in shape. These corner pieces are imposed and secured upon the upper surface of the frame A, at its corners by screws or like means, and serve to strengthen the miter joints of the frame at these points.

A coarse meshed skeleton frame 0, is furnished, which may be cast entire, or be formed as shown in Fig. 2, of a series of evenly spaced strips, that are held apart by another set of spaced strips which engage the first set at right angles, thus producing a tessellated structure that fills the space inclosed by the border frame A.

Within the tessellated frame 0, cork blocks D are inserted, one in each opening between its component strips; these blocks being so proportioned in area, as to bear closely upon each other edgewise, and require some compression to introduce the entire number which, when compressed, will afford a continuous cork top surface for the mat thus produced. The lower sides of the cork blocks D, are imposed upon a bottom board E, that is seated and secured at the edges upon the rabbeted edge portion of the frame A, which allows the board to lie embedded, and flush on its lower side with the lower face of the border frame.

At the corners of the frame A, the metal angle pieces G, are secured, and occupying a part of its rabbeted inner edge 011 the lower side, coincide in thickness with the depth of the rabbet, so that their exposed faces are level with the frame A, and bottom board E.

A suitable number of perforations a, are formed in the bottom board E, at different points throughout its area, so as to allow air to penetrate from the lower side of the mat and dry any moisture that might be absorbed by the cork blocks D.

It is essential that the tessellated frame 0, be protected from oxidation, by coating the metal with some material that will prevent rust formation; this may be effected by a galvanic deposit or by paint, as maybe preferred.

The form of the interstices in the frame 0, may be altered from that shown in Fig. 2, the shapes shown in Figs. 4 and 5, being available, these each representing one block-securing hole which it is understood are to be increased in number so as to provide a tessellated frame having lozenge shaped meshes as in Fig. 4, or polygonal shaped orifices as in Fig. 5; the cork blocks that are to occupy said openings in the frame being shaped to fit closely within them and produce a continuous level top face for the mat.

In use, the mat is placed on the floor of a bath room in a convenient spot to be trod upon by the bather when he enters and leaves the bath tub; the soft slightly elastic, and warm surface of the cork facing of the mat, being very agreeable to the naked feet, in marked contrast to contact with a bare fioor of tiles, or an oilcloth covering for the floor.

When not in use, the device should be hung upon the wall by the ring I), or may be stood upon its edge, so that air may penetrate the cork, and dry it.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

ICO

1. In a cork mat, the combination with a border frame, metal cornerpieces therefor, and a tessellated frame within the border frame, of a number of cork blocks fitted into the interstices of the tessellated frame, and a bottom board therefor,substantially as described.

2. In a cork mat, the combination with a border frame rabbeted on its lower inner edge, metal angle pieces for corners of the rabbeted to edge, and a bottom board secured within the rabbet, of a tessellated frame within the bor- ANDREW MORTON.

lVitnesses:

JOHN KANNOFSKY, FRED J. KANNOFSKY. 

